Carry1st, a South African mobile gaming startup led by Cape Town-based entrepreneur Cordel Robbin-Coker, has secured a whopping $27 million in its latest funding round.
The news brings the company’s total funding to $56.5 million and positions them to make a big impact in the mobile gaming industry.
The funding round was led by BITKRAFT Ventures and included participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), TTV Capital, and Alumni Ventures. This comes after a successful $20-million Series-A extension round nearly a year ago and an initial $6 million in Series-A funding in 2021.
Launched in 2018 by Robbin-Coker, Lucy Hoffman, and Tinotenda Mundangepfupfu, Carry1st has grown into a top-performing mobile game publisher serving the first generation of African smartphone users.
The South African gaming startup has reached more than 1.5 million users throughout the region and has seen significant growth in revenue over the last 12 months.
The newly secured funding will be used to develop, license, and publish new games as well as expand its monetization-as-a-service solution, Pay1st.
“We’re delighted to partner with BITKRAFT, one of the world’s top gaming VC firms, alongside a16z and other existing investors as we continue on our mission to scale awesome content in Africa,” Robbin-Coker, Carry1st co-founder and CEO, said.
He added that 2022 was a year of significant growth for the company, but with new and existing partners, they look forward to making 2023 even better.
The mobile gaming industry is a rapidly growing market, and Carry1st’s innovative approach and focus on the African market position them well for success. With a strong team and a solid funding round, the company is poised to make a big impact in the mobile gaming world.
